Williams still quick, but adds perspective

He runs at Penn Relays, but fatherhood on mind

Track And Field

PHILADELPHIA -- Bernard Williams is accustomed to going at a fast pace, being one of the world's top sprinters. But with fatherhood on the horizon, he said he's taking things a little slower.

"Your priorities start to come into focus," said Williams, whose girlfriend is expecting a girl next month. "Every time you're on the track, it's like, `Look, you're not doing this for yourself no more.' "

Williams, a Baltimore native and 2000 Olympic gold medalist, competed yesterday at the Penn Relays on the U.S. Blue 400- and 800-meter relay squads in the USA vs. the World competition. The Blue team placed second in both events as the Carver High graduate ran the second leg on the 400 team and the third leg on the 800 unit.

Mervo graduate James Carter ran the lead leg for the U.S. Red 1,600-relay team that finished fourth in 3:01.68. Carter, the defending U.S. 400 hurdles champion, was ranked No. 1 in the nation in the event last season by Track and Field News.

The publication ranked Williams third in the 100 and 200 last season, and he placed third in the 200 in the U.S. outdoor championships. He opened his 2003 campaign with a 45.7 split on the winning Blue 1,600-relay team at the Texas Relays earlier this month. In two weeks, he will compete in the 100 in the IAAF Japan Grand Prix in Osaka.

In his first appearance since setting the world record in the 100 meters last September, Tim Montgomery ran the finishing leg on the winning (38.62) U.S. Red 400 relay team.

UMBC senior Huguens Jean (Howard High) won the college men's high jump (7-0 1/2 ), and the Retrievers' 3,200 relay team finished ninth (9:02.31) in the college women's race.

A bad exchange cost Oakland Mills High in the small schools' 400 relay championship. The team of Daryl Pastor, Karlton McCullough, Antione Eleam and Tony Cole finished seventh (46.48). Annapolis' boys (3:24.98) won its heat in the 1,600 relay preliminaries, but no area team advanced to the Championship of America finals .